


What Would Life Be Like?

by 18lzytwner



Series: ThunderCats Second Series [2]
Category: Thundercats (1985)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2007-03-03
Updated: 2007-03-03
Packaged: 2019-07-03 17:51:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 17
Words: 11,060
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15823938
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/18lzytwner/pseuds/18lzytwner
Summary: Lion-O and Cheetara wrestle with some tough decisions but those are put on hold when Mumm-Ra intervenes. Trouble arises and when it comes down to it can the right decision be made?





	1. Chapter 1

Panthro sat in the command chair in Cat's Lair on New Thundera. The sun began to crest over the mountains in the distance. The sky's dark black became lighter shades of navy blue until finally the sun let it become its usual light pale blue. Clouds dotted the skyline and it would prove to be another wonderful day.

"Beautiful isn't it?" A voice alerted the panther to their presence.

"Indeed it is. I never tire of it but I'm guessing that's not why you're up three hours before your shift." Panthro smiled.

"You're right. I need your advice on something." The visitor sat down in the chair next to him.

"Uh huh and it wouldn't have anything to do with a certain ThunderCat female would it?" Panthro smirked as Lion-O turned as red as his mane.

"I thought so." The panther chuckled.

"That obvious huh?" Lion-O wondered.

"So what's up?" Panthro continued to smile and avoided the question.

"As Lord of the ThunderCats, I can't afford to be with someone. Our enemies would use that against me. I could jeopardize everyone's safety all because of my feelings for one. As a group, we can't afford it. My needs and wants can never overshadow the needs of the ThunderCats or the people we're sworn to protect. I guess my only option is to be alone but that is the last thing I want. My heart says one thing and my head says another and I'm very confused." Lion-O confessed. It wasn't like the lion to open up like this but Panthro understood. He had loved once before.

"You have matured very much since the burden and privilege of becoming the Lord of the ThunderCats those few years ago and I suppose that Tygra and I should have seen this coming. All the training in the world doesn't prepare you for women. They are a complicated creatures." The panther told him.

"So what do I do?" The lion wondered.

"You have a few options. We all know that you would do anything to protect New Thundera and Third Earth and you've become a great leader. We would follow you into Hell and back without question and so I understand your hesitance. But you can't go your whole life without admitting to the person you care the most about, how you feel. You must tell her. You never know what's going to happen in our line of work. She could be here one day and gone the next. You can't live your life without knowing what it was like to be together. Trust me on this." Panthro said.

"But what about the possible consequences?" Lion-O asked.

"You have to deal with them when they come. Don't live your life in fear. Your enemies will use that fear." The panther warned.

"But what if I make the wrong decision?" His friend was still unsure.

"I can't help you make decisions but I have no doubt that you'll make the right ones." Panthro said. Lion-O exhaled slowly and tried to sort out what the panther had said.

"All right, I'll give it a shot." He nodded.

"Atta boy. Now why don't you go bug Snarf for some breakfast? You still have two hours before your shift." Panthro suggested. Lion-O thanked the engineer and walked down to the kitchen. There was a lot to absorb but somehow he would figure out what to do.

Cheetara made her bed and then walked over to her window. The sun was bright and it would be a warm day. However, her thoughts weren't about the sun or the weather, they focused on her inability to act. She had the chance to tell Lion-O a few months ago how she felt and she squandered the opportunity. Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the comm beeping near her door.

"Cheetara, Pumyra is on the vid-link. Can you get down here in a few minutes?" Panthro asked.

"Be right there." The cheetah answered. In a flash, she was out of her room and racing down the hall.


	2. Chapter 2

"Hey Pumyra. How's it going on Third Earth?" Cheetara wondered.

"Everything's great just giving our usual check in report. All seems quiet around here." The puma replied.

"Well not exactly quiet." Ben-Gali said in the background. Pumyra turned red enough to match the color of her ThunderCat insignia.

"Good land, I hope those new walls are thick enough, otherwise all of Third Earth might hear you." Panthro chuckled and Cheetara tried to stifle her laughter.

"Well we haven't gotten any complaints so far." The white tiger joked.

"You two are brutal. I thought Lion-O set you straight about that stuff?" Cheetara smiled.

"Speaking of which, where is the Lord of the ThunderCats? I thought that he'd be here for the report." Pumyra said, quickly changing the subject.

"I sent him down to breakfast. I'm heading down there myself in a few minutes. I smell Snarf whipping up his famous candy fruit pancakes." Panthro said.

"Well why don't you go save me some and I'll be down soon." The cheetah told him. He seemed to take the hint and took his leave of the group.

"I guess I'll wander down to the galley and see if I can't rustle up some grub for us." Ben-Gali smiled and left the room leaving nothing but the two females and the video screen between them.

"All right, spill it." Pumyra said.

WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW

Mumm-Ra stood before his cauldron trying to come up with an idea to rid himself of the ThunderCats and make sure he stayed in the good graces of the Ancient Spirits of Evil. He had once again botched the last job and the Lockti had given the ThunderCats instructions to modify their current equipment. Luckily Grune had made a fool out of himself and the Ancient Ones had once again been forgiving.

"Bark! Bark!" Ma-Mutt wagged his tail happily expecting Mumm-Ra to throw the bone he had picked up.

"Not now Ma-Mutt! I'm trying to rid us of the ThunderCats." The mummy shooed the horrible hound away. The poor creature had a sad look on his face as he walked slowly away and plunked himself down over by the sarcophagus. He whined and Mumm-Ra ignored it at first but when the whine became louder the ever-living source of evil spun around and yelled,

"I don't have time to play fetch! Now leave me alone!" At this Ma-Mutt silenced his whine and turned around so he was facing the tomb. Suddenly, Mumm-Ra had an idea.

"That's it! Time!" He began to chant in a language not heard for a thousand years. The waters of his cauldron began to roll and boil. Soon the torrid froth parted to show an object rise forth.

"The ThunderCats will never be able to resist capturing another piece of the treasure of Thundera. Too bad this piece has been altered; they will never know what hit them. The Thunder-Granter brought many years of peace when Claudus held it. But instead of peace it will bring nothing but destruction!" His evil cackle reverberated off the walls of the onyx pyramid.

"Now all that's left to do is to put it some place they'll find it. Ancient Spirits of Evil…" the words were barely out of his mouth before the Ancient Ones granted him his wish of becoming Mumm-Ra the ever-living. Once the transformation was complete, he took to the skies with the tainted Thunder-Granter under his left arm.


	3. Chapter 3

Lion-O sat at Cat's Lair's control panels and flipped the views on the screen. Despite the automated sector scanner that Panthro had installed back when the Lair was built, the Lord of the ThunderCats liked to scan manually to pass the time.

"Bored yet?" A familiar voice came soon after he heard the control room doors open.

"Not yet." Lion-O smiled as Cheetara sat down next to him.

"I thought you'd be out for your run." He said.

"After eating Snarf's candy fruit pancakes? Are you kidding? Those things are delicious but they really aren't conducive to putting out my top speed." She laughed.

"I know what you mean. I'd probably fall asleep at the switch if I hadn't downed three cups of coffee after I ate them." Lion-O told her. After that the two slipped into a semi-comfortable silence. Both wanted to say something but neither one really knew how. The two knew the warnings, Lion-O probably better since he had to talk with Pumyra and Ben-Gali. All the ThunderCats knew that getting involved emotionally with their fellow Cats was a dangerous thing and they really didn't need to be warned but as Lord of the ThunderCats, Lion-O had to follow the rules.

"There seems to be a disturbance in sector H. Where is Panthro?" The lion wondered.

"He's working on the Lockti technology." She told him. "Then I guess it's just me and you.

" He quickly called the ThunderKittens up to the control room and then the lion and the cheetah headed for the hanger.

A few minutes later, they both sat in the ThunderClaw, flying over the New Thundera landscape.

"What kind of disturbance was it?" Cheetara asked.

"The sensors picked up some strange readings. One minute the wind was hitting fifty miles an hour and the next it was down to five. Then some seismic activity appeared despite the fact that the nearest the volcano is over in sector N, which is around sixty miles from here." Lion-O told her.

"That does seem odd." She said. Soon the ThunderClaw, landed at the sight of the disturbance to find everything seemingly normal until the ground began to shake beneath their feet.

"What is that?" Cheetara asked.

"You don't recognize me?" An all too familiar voice boomed before them.

"Mumm-Ra!" Lion-O gritted his teeth and pulled the mighty Sword of Omens from the Claw Shield.

"You're too late. I have the Thunder-Granter and nothing you do will stop me from using it to spread evil all over this planet and third Earth. The once mighty ThunderCats will fall and the dawn of my empire will begin." The mummy said. It was apparent to both Lion-O and Cheetara that the Ancient Spirits of Evil had transformed Mumm-Ra with the added bonus of being taller and bigger than the last time they met. This however did not deter them and the Lord of the ThunderCats was the first to act.

"HO!" He shouted. The Sword of Omens extended to its full length and an energy blast hit the ever-living source of evil squarely on the chest. He howled in pain and then sent a shot back in Lion-O's direction. The lion caught the shot in the arm and let out a loud growl. Cheetara raced past the slightly injured cat with her bo-staff in hand. She quickly used the staff to smack the mummy right between the eyes. Mumm-Ra dropped the Thunder-Granter and stumbled backwards. Cheetara advanced and used her staff to knock him down. She pointed the end of her staff at the mummy's head and was about to give him a nasty headache when Lion-O stopped her.

"Come on. We have to get the Thunder-Granter back to Cat's Lair immediately. Leave him." Cheetara nodded and the two quickly grabbed the piece of the treasure of Thundera and climbed aboard the ThunderClaw.


	4. Chapter 4

Back at Cat's Lair, Cheetara tended to Lion-O's energy seared arm while Panthro looked at what Mumm-Ra had called the Thunder-Granter.

"What do you suppose it does?" The lion asked as Cheetara finished wrapping the gauze.

"I have no idea. Jaga never spoke of such an instrument and in translating the Book of Omens, I haven't seen anything called the Thunder-Granter." Panthro told him.

"Doesn't that seem odd? I mean if it truly does belong to the ThunderCats or Thunderian people, wouldn't there be a record of it?" Cheetara wondered.

"I would assume so. Seeing as it has the ThunderCat emblem on it, someone had to know what it is and what it does." The panther conceded.

"Well Mumm-Ra said that he would use it to spread his evil over the entire planet and then Third Earth. He must know what it does." Lion-O said.

"Hmmm that seems very strange. Let me get a hold of Tygra and see if he knows. Worse comes to worse, we could use the Sword of Omens and it would tell us what it does." Panthro suggested. The Lord of the ThunderCats nodded and the panther left the room leaving the two alone.

"Thanks for patching me up." He said.

"Not a problem, just promise me you'll try to avoid those energy blasts a little better next time." Cheetara smiled as she finished wrapping the tape around the bandages. The tension in the room was thick enough to cut with a knife. Silence fell between the two for a few moments before Lion-O spoke up.

"Well I guess we'd better get to the control room. Maybe Tygra has an answer to our strange contraption." The cheetah only nodded and the two headed for the door.

"I hate to tell you this Panthro but I've never seen it. Hang on and I'll get Lynx-O. Maybe he knows." The orange tiger said.

"All right." The panther nodded and watched his friend leave the viewing screen. Behinds him he heard the doors open and turned around.

"Well no luck with Tygra but he's getting Lynx-O. It's possible that he knows something." Panthro explained. Neither Lion-O nor Cheetara responded and the panther was about to say something when Lynx-O's voice drew him back to the screen.

"What do you have there?" The lynx wondered.

"Mumm-Ra called it the Thunder-Granter but we have no idea if that is what its called or not. The Book of Omens doesn't mention it and I never heard Jaga mention it. It's a telescope but there appears to be only one lens on the big end of it." Panthro hoped the description would be enough for the lynx. Silence fell between them before Lynx-O spoke a few minutes later.

"The description matches a tale from long ago. It is said that the Thunder-Granter was only a myth, a telescope with one lens that allowed its owner to see into the future. Should the owner not like what he or she saw they could make one wish that would change the course of that future. It could have disastrous effects on the time continuum but it was supposed to be a myth." He explained.

"How could something this small do something like that?" Lion-O asked.

"It was said that the Ancient Spirits of Goodness used their very powerful magic to bestow its special powers. They created it for the soul purpose of saving Thundera from plunging into total darkness. Peace and prosperity would then reign for the next five hundred years until the destruction of the planet." Lynx-O said.

"So my father must have been aware that what was thought to be a myth was actually reality." The Lord of the ThunderCats realized.

"The only way to test that theory is to put the small end to your eye and see what it shows you." Came the reply.


	5. Chapter 5

Lion-O took the Thunder-Granter from Panthro and placed it over his right eye. At first, nothing happened and he wondered if it was broken, suddenly light shot forth and the Lord of the ThunderCats saw a scene of Thundera before him. But it wasn't a peaceful Thundera, it was minutes before the planet would be obliterated and those who didn't make it off the planet would perish.

Suddenly the view panned to Claudus and the ThunderCats. He was telling them that he must stay behind to help get their ship off the planet. They all were saddened but knew that it had to be done. Once they entered the ship, Claudus pulled out the Thunder-Granter and commanded it to lead his son and the ThunderCats to safety. It would be his dying request as the planet exploded. The scene became black and then it appeared again to show everything that led up to the moment of the fight with Mumm-Ra earlier that day. Conveniently, the whole part about the ever-living source of evil creating this modified version was left out. Once this was over, Lion-O pulled it away from his face.

"What did you see?" Cheetara asked.

"My father let Thundera be destroyed. He could have saved it and he chose instead to give us safe passage. I don't understand." He said.

"He must have seen the future and knew that what was in store for us away from Thundera would be more important than saving the planet itself." Panthro thought.

"But what about all our fellow Thunderians that died because of the Mutants' actions? What about Jaga? They were best friends and you're telling me that he sent Jaga to his death on purpose?" Lion-O was obviously getting upset.

"He did what was best for Thundera, what was best for his people, and what was best for his son. We will never know if your father ever saw that Jaga would die. Perhaps his wish wasn't specific enough. We will never know but we do know what kind of Thunderian your father was and we know that whatever he saw, must have been worth the chance of never seeing Thundera again." Lynx-O spoke up. Everyone knew that the lynx was right. Claudus would never purposely endanger Thunderians unless it was absolutely necessary. He was a good leader and father. Lion-O let out the breath he had been holding with Lynx-O spoke and then turned and left the control room. He needed time to think and to be alone. Only then could he sort out his mixed emotions and make a decision about what to do with the Thunder-Granter.

Cheetara sighed and watched him leave the room. Something inside her wanted to chase after him but her better judgment said that he needed to be alone. Panthro said goodbye to Tygra and Lynx-O and then went off to find the ThunderKittens to explain the situation. No doubt the two were eating supper down in the kitchen. Cheetara promised to stay in the control room, and flipped the video screen to the security cameras. It wasn't long before she found Lion-O sitting in the Cat's mouth, staring off toward the distant mountains. Another sigh escaped her lips as she switched it back to the outside feeds, to keep an eye on the newly reformed Thundera. Her thoughts wandered to this afternoon and the fight with Mumm-Ra. She had been sure that the entire planet had been swept for missing pieces of the treasure of Thundera and yet somehow, the Thunder-Granter, had been missed. Not only that, the fight today had been too easy. Mumm-Ra hadn't followed them after they escaped on the ThunderClaw. The cheetah didn't need her sixth sense to tell her that something was up and the moment she got the chance, she would have a few words with Lion-O.

Mumm-Ra watched the scene unfold before him in his bubbling cauldron. So far the Lord of the ThunderCats hadn't had a need to wish for something but it wouldn't be long.

"Little do they know, Ma-Mutt, that when Lion-O comes to need the one wish that the Thunder-Granter gives, he'll get the exact opposite of what he desires. My evil magic has interfered with the telescopes wishing capabilities. So instead of things getting better they'll only get worse!" A loud cackle left the mummy's lips and Ma-Mutt joined in by howling.


	6. Chapter 6

The sun began to sink over the crust of New Thundera and Lion-O made his way to the kitchen for dinner. The ThunderKittens raced past him, as they wanted to eat and then go out and meet some of their friends in the settlement. So caught up in his own thoughts about what he had seen in the Thunder-Granter after today's earlier events, the lion didn't hear someone calling his name.

"Lion-O, are you still with us?" Cheetara wondered as she raced in front of him and cut off his path. "I've been trying to get your attention for the past five minutes."

"Huh? Oh sorry, I just have a lot on my mind." The Lord of the ThunderCats said slowly.

"I've been doing some thinking and that fight we had with Mumm-Ra was too easy. If he wanted the Thunder-Granter so badly then why didn't he put up more of a fight, especially since you were wounded." She conjectured. Lion-O moved his attention from the floor to the cheetah's face.

"You're right and why after all this time would he go looking for it if it would supposedly give him the power to defeat us?" Cheetara was about to answer him when Cat's Lair shook violently.

"Earthquake?" The cheetah wondered when the shaking stopped. The response she got was the Sword of Omens warning it's master of danger. Quickly, Lion-O pulled the might Sword from the Claw Shield and put the hilt up to his face.

"Sword of Omens, give me Sight Beyond Sight!" The sword showed him the horrible truth behind all the chaos and he quickly raced off back toward the control room. Not waiting for an explanation, Cheetara followed.

"Dormant volcano number twelve in sector O has just erupted. No signs as to why, I didn't receive any activity warnings." Lynx-O hit the Braille Board's key furiously trying to discover what the volcano had spewed from its mouth and if it was headed their way.

"Well you wouldn't. The Sword showed me who's behind this but first what kind of fallout can we expect?" Lion-O wondered.

"Ash has been sent hundreds of feet into the air. It will cover everything in its path and choke the life out of plants and animals. I'm working on what kind of damage radius there will be." Just then another violent tremor shook the Lair. Cheetara watched the screen as the very active volcano number seven erupted in the same sector.

"We have lava flow with this one." Lynx-O alerted them.

"What the hell is going on?" Panthro rushed into the control room with the ThunderKittens and Snarves hot on his tail.

"We've had a couple volcano eruptions in sector O, one spewing ash, the other lava. We have to find a way to control the lava before it sets the forests and grass plains ablaze, then we'll have a real mess on our hands." Lion-O explained.

"The best way to divert lava is with a large crack in the earth. Even if we wet down the grass and trees the lava will just go right through it." Panthro said.

"Well however we're going to do it we'd better do it fast." Cheetara pointed out as she watched the lava pick up speed down the side of the volcano.

"Sounds like a job for the ThunderTank. Let's go!" The panther exclaimed as he raced out of the control room. In a flash, Cheetara, Lion-O, and the ThunderKittens joined him, leaving Lynx-O to keep them updated as they raced against time and Mother Nature.

Panthro had the ThunderTank running on all cylinders and he pushed it hard to get close enough to the moving lava so he could begin to bore into the ground and create a large trench for the hot liquid magma. Lion-O silently begged Jaga to give them the time they needed, as it seemed the ThunderTank was only moving inches at a time. Suddenly, the heavy-duty vehicle stopped in its tracks. They had arrived at the right spot but someone was already there.


	7. Chapter 7

Quickly, everyone jumped from the ThunderTank except for Panthro, who threw up the protective shielding and began to drill into the dirt.

"You think that Tank of yours stands a chance against the awesome might of Mumm-Ra?" Their arch nemesis crowed.

"The ThunderTank will handle the lava while we handle you." Lion-O pulled the Sword of Omens from the Claw Shield and shouted,

"HO!" The blade extended to its full length and the Lord of the ThunderCats charged at him. Cheetara and the ThunderKittens pulled out their weapons and followed after their leader. Mumm-Ra reacted quickly and fended off Lion-O attack by sending out energy blasts from his hands. The lion ducked and used the Sword to fire back. Soon the ThunderKittens were throwing pellets at the mummy and Cheetara waved her bo-staff in his face. The last time they had met she'd been told to stop but right now nothing would stop her.

The lava moved closer and closer to the battling enemies and neither side seemed to notice. They were too wrapped up in fighting each other.

"I'm out of pellets." WilyKit shouted.

"Fall back!" Came Lion-O's order as he fired another blast at Mumm-Ra. Kit turned to run toward the safety of some nearby trees when an energy blast caught her in the back. She screamed out and fell down on face.

"Kit!" Her brother screamed and raced back to help his sister. This awful occurrence made Cheetara realize what was going on around her.

She could see the magma moving toward them and she knew that Panthro and the ThunderTank would soon be resurfacing. Mumm-Ra had to be driven back and Lion-O pulled to the other side of the trench or he would be killed.

"Lion-O we have to get back! Panthro will be surfacing soon!" The cheetah called out to him. The Lord of the ThunderCats seemingly ignored her and continued to battle with his arch foe.

"Lion-O!" Cheetara shouted again and again the words fell on deaf ears. Suddenly she could feel the ground shake beneath her and she knew that the moment had arrived. There was only one option and it was to jump toward the Lord of the ThunderCats and try to get him away from the ever-closer molten rock. Cheetara ran off the shaking ground as it gave way under her feet.

The ThunderTank surfaced and Panthro pulled it towards a clump of trees. There he saw WilyKat trying to help WilyKit. It was obvious that she had been injured and the panther grabbed the First-Aid kit.

"Kit, don't leave me." Kat's eyes brimmed with tears. His sister was his best friend and he couldn't imagine life without her.

"She'll be all right, I promise." Panthro tried to reassure the very upset ThunderKitten. He looked at Kit's wounds and hoped that he had been right.

Cheetara seemingly came out of nowhere and used her bo-staff to smack Mumm-Ra in the face. She then turned to Lion-O.

"We have to jump the gap! The lava is practically on top of us!" He nodded and quickly Cheetara extended her bo-staff to compensate for the added weight of the lion. They backed up as far as they could with the magma nipping at their heels and ran forward. Cheetara made it across the gap but then she noticed that Lion-O wasn't behind her. She whirled around to see Mumm-Ra floating in the air and holding the Lord of the ThunderCats by the throat over the large crack that the ThunderTank had formed.

Lion-O struggled to loosen the mummy's grip but it was no use as Mumm-Ra just squeezed tighter. The Lord of the ThunderCats could feel the oxygen being cut off and the next thing he saw was blackness. Cheetara watched in horror as Mumm-Ra let Lion-O go.


	8. Chapter 8

Everything seemed to slow down as the cheetah raced to the edge of the crack the ThunderTank had created. Without thinking, she leapt off the rim and reached for the unconscious lion. Her hands found Lion-O's ankle and she grabbed hold. The heat was unbearable as they fell down and Cheetara's last thoughts were of the life she could have had and what now awaited her in death.

Panthro saw the cheetah go over the edge and immediately ran to try to save her. WilyKat watched as the panther dropped to his knees and reached over. Mumm-Ra's horrible laughter could be heard above them and the young ThunderCat grew angry. He left his sister's side and ran to help Panthro. When the ThunderKitten reached the panther he saw something he never thought he'd see. Cheetara and Lion-O had disappeared and Panthro sat there staring down into the boiling hot magma. A sudden look of determination crossed his face and he turned to Kat.

"This isn't over yet." Standing, the panther pulled out his nun-chucks and charged at Mumm-Ra who still was laughing in mid-air. Panthro opened the end of the blue nun-chuck and beams of light shot out hitting the ever-living source of evil. Mumm-Ra howled out in pain and returned fire, as an energy blast shot forth from the hand that wasn't focused on his wounds.

Panthro easily dodged the shot and that's when a pellet shot into the air. WilyKat still had some left apparently and he joined the panther in an effort to bring down the miserable mummy. The pellet hit Mumm-Ra in the chest and he began to fall toward the lava moving beneath him. Just when the two ThunderCats had thought they'd beaten him, the mummy disappeared.

Everything inside Panthro wanted to race the ThunderTank to the onyx pyramid and finish what he had started but WilyKit needed medical attention and somehow he had to contact Third Earth and explain the situation.

"Let's go." He told Kat and the two hopped back into the Tank and headed for Cat's Lair.

WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW

Panthro picked up the Thunder-Granter from its holder in the treasure room. Snarf was tending to WilyKit with her brother's help and Lynx-O was contacting Third Earth. The panther knew the only way to bring Lion-O and Cheetara back from beyond the grave was to use the object he held in his hands. He wasn't sure how it worked or even if it would work. The Sword of Omens had disappeared with the Lord of the ThunderCats and it probably melted in the intense heat of the lava. Without the Sword, there could be no new Lord of the ThunderCats.

"Jaga give me strength. What am I supposed to do?" He wondered aloud as he looked toward the ceiling.

"Do not despair Panthro." A familiar voice reached his ears. The panther brought his vision to the person who spoke.

"Jaga?"

"Yes, Panthro. You must fill in for Lion-O and become the new Lord of the ThunderCats." His old friend told him.

"I can't do that. The Sword is lost and I just lost two of my best friends. I can't step up and become the Lord, Lion-O was supposed to be." The panther said.

"The Sword of Omens can be retrieved as well as Lion-O and Cheetara. The Eye of Thundera along with the Sword have returned to their place inside the Book of Omens. You must enter the Book and tell the Guardian that you are the new Lord of the ThunderCats. Only then will you get the Sword back." Jaga instructed.

"But what about Lion-O and Cheetara?" Panthro asked.

"The Book will further instruct you on how to bring them back. Go Panthro." Before anything else could be said, the wise and mighty Jaga was gone.


	9. Chapter 9

Lion-O slowly opened his eyes and found himself floating through space on a little island. He reached for the Claw Shield and found it empty. That was odd because he knew he put the Sword away in its place before jumping across the crack. Then he remembered Mumm-Ra's hand on his throat. Anger boiled inside him, as he knew that something awful had happened after he blacked out. He rolled over and pounded the ground with his fist. Not too far away something stirred and the lion turned to see what or who it was. His eyes went wide when he saw Cheetara. Quickly he went to her side and helped her sit up.

"I guess I didn't do a very good job, did I?" She asked.

"What do you mean?" Lion-O looked confused.

"Well I jumped into the crack to save you and somehow we both ended up here anyway." The cheetah smiled slightly and then looked down at the ground.

"You jumped in after me?" He couldn't believe what he heard.

"I couldn't just let you die but it seems that I got myself killed in the process. There's no way, you or I survived the lava bath we got." Cheetara continued to look at the ground.

"This place definitely isn't the Thunderian utopia I was told about when I was younger." Lion-O said as he pulled her up against him. It was a bold move but since she didn't object, he smiled.

"I'm guessing that we're stuck in limbo somewhere, although I couldn't tell you why." She sighed and leaned a little more onto him.

"I don't have the Sword of Omens. It's gone so I can't get us out of here." He told her. A silence fell between the two. Finally, Cheetara opened her mouth to say something and a bright light appeared and Jaga stepped onto the little floating island. Immediately, the two stood up and faced their friend.

"I'm sorry to see you two under these circumstances. I have been asked to bring you before Lady Bast; she will decide what your fates are. Ladies first." Jaga allowed Cheetara to walk in front of him.

"Oh sure now let me go first." The cheetah joked. Lion-O smiled and Jaga said,

"Do not worry, you have nothing to fear." As she went ahead, the mentor and friend pulled Lion-O aside.

"I have sent Panthro into the Book of Omens. He will retrieve the Sword and then try to bring you back." Before Lion-O could say anything he found himself being pulled away from Jaga and toward his final judgment.

Back on New Thundera, Panthro was sucked into the Book of Omens and found himself falling through space before landing in front of the red pillars with dragonheads.

"Who dares to enter the Book of Omens?" The Guardian boomed.

"Panthro the new Lord of the ThunderCats. I have come to claim the Sword of Omens so that I may take my position." The panther explained.

"I have received the Sword, I know that Lord Lion-O is dead. You are the new chosen one and you must step forward." The Guardian commanded. Panthro did as he was told and the Sword of Omens appeared on the steps that led to the great eye.

"As the new Lord, you first have to answer one question before you will be able to take the title and responsibility. If you could bring your predecessor back, would you?" The Guardian posed the question and in a heartbeat Panthro answered,

"I would bring him back."

"Good, then take the Thunder-Granter and use its one wish to bring Lord Lion-O back. But beware, word your wish carefully or you will not get what you desire." With that Panthro picked up the Sword of Omens and was expelled from the Book.


	10. Chapter 10

Panthro stood in the conference room with Lynx-O, Snarf, and Snarfer. WilyKat was told to keep an eye out for the others. They hadn't wanted to vacate Third Earth but due to the situation, they didn't have much of a choice. The Warrior Maidens had assumed positions inside the Tower of Omens and Cat's Lair until Thunderians from New Thundera arrived.

"The Book of Omens told me to use the Thunder-Granter. Somehow I can bring them back but I have to be careful for what I wish. I don't know exactly what that meant." Panthro said.

"It is not what you ask for but how you ask for it." Lynx-O had a concerned look on his face. "You have to be very specific. So perhaps you should wish that Lion-O and Cheetara return to us as they were before the incident."

"Could that trigger Mumm-Ra forcing the volcano to erupt again?" The panther wondered.

"Ohh not that, snarfer, snarfer." Snarfer voiced his opinion.

"We have to get Lion-O and Cheetara back." Snarf whined. Panthro took a deep breath. No matter how he worded his wish things could turn out badly but he had to try if he wanted to see his friends again.

"All right. I've made my decision." He said. The panther picked up the Thunder-Granter from the table and placed it to his eye.

Mumm-Ra watched his cauldron as he waited to see what the ThunderCat would say. He had made the Thunder-Granter to do the opposite, so if Panthro wanted to bring Lion-O and Cheetara back to life, he wasn't sure what it would do. Seeing as it couldn't kill someone that was already dead, where did that put them?

"Mighty Thunder-Granter," Panthro started, "I wish for you to bring Lion-O and Cheetara back to life, bring them to us." At first nothing happened and Mumm-Ra laughed. Perhaps the opposite of bringing them back was leaving them where they were. However, his evil maniacal laughter stopped when the sky suddenly turned a dark and thunder boomed. Lightening struck and then in the fields there were two familiar figures. The sky cleared and everything was as it was before. Mumm-Ra watched his cauldron bubble as a new picture formed. His laughter once again rang out as he saw what had transpired. It wasn't what he was expecting but it would certainly do. Quickly, the ever-living source of evil transformed and took to the sky.

"Did it work?" Snarfer asked.

"Well I don't see them." Panthro said putting the Thunder-Granter back on the table. That's when WilyKat came running into the room.

"You guys had better come and take a look at this." He said. Quickly the group got up from their seats and ran to the control room.

"What am I looking at?" Panthro asked as he stared at the video screen.

"The spot that the lightening struck." Kat adjusted the angle of the sensor by punching up the correct code.

"Sweet Jaga." The words were barely out of Snarf's mouth as Panthro, Lynx-O, and Snarfer, raced from the room. Quickly the three piled into the ThunderTank and headed out to the coordinates that WilyKat sent them for the control computer.

"I guess you weren't kidding when you said I had to be careful." Panthro tried to break the silence that had overtaken the tank. Lynx-O just smiled and said,

"Well that will teach you to not listen to your elders. Anyway I wasn't expecting for them to land the furthest possible distance from the Lair." The two chuckled.

"I guess we weren't expecting them to be in the condition they're in either." Panthro said as the two stopped their laughter. It was no laughing matter, especially when a blip in the shape of Mumm-Ra appeared on their radar.


	11. Chapter 11

The panther threw up the protective shield and kicked the ThunderTank's boosters into maximum overdrive. The whine of the engine increased along with the speed. Snarfer bounced around in the back of the Tank, as he hadn't warned about what was happening. The treads squealed and screamed as the ThunderTank approached one hundred and fifty miles an hour. Panthro knew that at one hundred and sixty the engine would give out, he silently prayed to Jaga that they would get to their destination before Mumm-Ra. The mummy had already caused enough trouble and if they couldn't stop him this time, nothing would be holding the panther back from taking revenge.

"Mumm-Ra will intercept them in two minutes. How much more can she take this?" Lynx-O shouted over the roar of the engine.

"We'll be there quicker." Panthro pushed the accelerator until the tank hit one hundred and fifty-five. The engine obeyed the command despite what it was being asked. The panther picked up the microphone and shouted over it at Snarfer.

"Prepare the laser cannon! We'll be intercepting in under a minute!" Slamming the microphone back down into its receiver, Panthro pushed the accelerator a little more. The speedometer climbed to one hundred and fifty-eight.

Mumm-Ra could hear a tremendous noise and knew that within seconds the ThunderCats would be upon him. Quickly he landed at the edge of the medium sized crater that the lightening had left. Inside laid two ThunderCats or rather ThunderCubs. Lion-O and Cheetara had come back all right but as babies not as full-grown ThunderCats. The ever-living source of evil couldn't help but chuckle at the sight of Lion-O lying under his regular sized uniform.

"Some mighty ThunderCat Lord you turned out to be. Well when I raise you as my own, I shall use you against those that you care about." Mumm-Ra picked up the tiny lion cub and took one look at Cheetara.

"Two ThunderCats would be better than one." He smirked and picked up the cheetah cub. Cheetara instinctively smacked the mummy in the face as he held her with his other hand.

"Hmm that is one trait I'll be sure to rid you of." Mumm-Ra made a face.

"Put them down!" Panthro shouted as the ThunderTank came to a halt.

"Make me!" The villain said childishly. He started to fly away and Panthro feared that they wouldn't be able to get them back when a blast from the laser cannon whizzed by his head. Snarfer had taken direct aim at the mummy and the shot caught the villain between the shoulder blades. Mumm-Ra howled in pain and let go of Cheetara. Panthro raced to catch the cub before she fell to the ground. He dove and caught Cheetara, who immediately wailed. However she wasn't wailing at being dropped but instead was reaching for the lion from which she'd been separated.

Snarfer didn't wait before sending another shot at Mumm-Ra. Panthro shouted for him to stop but it was too late. The shot was off and heading for the ever-living source of evil. Again the hit was true striking Mumm-Ra in the back. A cry escaped the mummy's lips and he crashed into a grove of trees. Panthro handed Cheetara off to Lynx-O and raced over to the nearby clump of trees.

When he got there, Mumm-Ra had transformed back into his bundled bunch of bandages. The panther's patience was wearing out and he quickly, grabbed Lion-O from the mummy. The former Lord of the ThunderCats had a nasty cut on his forehead that Panthro knew needed attention immediately. It took all his strength to not kick the ever-living source of evil while he was down. Quickly, he ran back to the ThunderTank where the others were waiting. Snarfer would have to be ripped a new one but that would come later after the cubs were attended to.


	12. Chapter 12

Panthro stood in the sick bay as Snarf wrapped up Lion-O's cut and then proceeded to dig around for something that could be used as diapers.

"What the hell happened?" The panther mumbled to himself.

"I have no idea." Snarf said as he found something he hoped was suitable for the cubs. He grabbed the square cloths and expertly wrapped the babies up.

"I've still got it." He was pleased with himself.

"How's it going in here?" WilyKat wondered as he walked into the room.

"Well Lion-O is all bandaged up and both have diapers. How long until the other make it here?" Panthro asked.

"At least three hours. How's my sister?" Kat wanted to know.

"She's still in some pain but I think she's doing better. I can't wait until we get some piece and we get that Extractor built." Snarf said. Kat nodded and went over to Kit.

"Let's worry about that later. Right now we have two friends that need our help." Panthro's frustration was becoming apparent.

"We all know that. There is no need to lose your temper." Lynx-O appeared in the doorway. The older and wiser ThunderCat tried to calm him down.

"There is a way to bring them to their correct ages and we will find it. However until the others arrive, I don't see the point in losing our senses. Mumm-Ra will probably not try anything within the next few hours, as he doesn't have the strength. Why don't you and I head back to the control room?" The lynx had sufficiently diffused the situation as Panthro took a deep breath. He nodded and the two left WilyKat and Snarf alone in the sick bay.

Snarfer sat at the controls monitoring the ThunderStrike's coordinates when the two entered the room.

"Approximately two hours and forty-five minutes until touch down." He appraised the two.

"I wish they could get here faster." Lynx-O said while Panthro remained quiet. He was still fuming about the younger snarf's shots earlier. Lynx-O could sense the tension in the room and knew that something was about to happen. Quickly, he opened his mouth.

"Snarfer, why don't you help me hook the Braille Board up and then you can go help your uncle."

"Okey dokey." The young snarf smiled and quickly hooked the Braille Board up. Then he took his leave. When Lynx-O was sure that he was gone he turned to Panthro.

"You know he doesn't see a lot of combat, you should cut him some slack." The comment caught the panther off guard and he didn't respond right away.

"This is the ThunderStrike. Come in New Thundera." Ben-Gali's voice came over the radio and his picture slowly began to appear on the large video screen.

"This is New Thundera. Go ahead ThunderStrike." Panthro said as he pressed the Comm button.

"Have you been able to decipher anything from the Book of Omens that might help?" The white tiger asked.

"No luck. Most of the text is in the old Thunderian and it seems to contradict itself. Has Tygra had any ideas?" Panthro wondered.

"I'll let him tell you." Ben-Gali poked a few buttons and Tygra popped up on the screen.

"So far the best I could come up with is trying the Cave of Time. However that would involve three more back and forth trips." The orange tiger said.

"That's a lot of fuel consumption and with no one on Third Earth refining it, things could take a week or so to get back to normal." Panthro shook his head.

"Well it is an option but the architect in me knows that there has to be a better way." Tygra told him. Panthro nodded and replied,

"I'm going to look through the book again and see if I can figure it out."

"Good luck. ThunderStrike out." Tygra signed off and Panthro left the control room and headed for the Treasure chamber.


	13. Chapter 13

Now sitting in the library, Panthro flipped through the Book of Omens trying to understand what seemed like absolute gibberish to him. It hadn't made sense the first time and he highly doubted it would be any better this time but something had to be done to help his friends.

"Panthro." Jaga's voice shook his nose from the Book.

"Yes, Jaga."

"It seems as though you did not get Lion-O and Cheetara back the way you had intended." The wise ThunderCat said.

"No and I was trying to figure out what to do." Panthro told him.

"Lady Bast granted Lion-O and Cheetara a reprieve from their deaths. Why I am not sure, but I imagine those two have some important unfinished business that they must accomplish first." Jaga explained.

"But I thought the Thunder-Granter brought them back." The panther was confused.

"No, it has been tampered with as Lady Bast told me." Jaga said.

"Mumm-Ra." Panthro clenched his fists.

"Yes, Mumm-Ra. He has once again meddled in the lives of the ThunderCats. But there is a way to reverse what has happened." The mentor told him.

"Why didn't Lady Bast send Lion-O and Cheetara back as their normal selves? Why as cubs? How can I reverse all of this?" Panthro bombarded the astral figure with questions.

"Cubs are innocent. They will be the only ones who can pass the test that is coming." Jaga's message was cryptic.

"What test?" The panther wanted some answers.

"When the time comes, you must call the ThunderCats. Be sure to put the fake Thunder-Granter directly in the path of the Cat Signal. Only then will things return to normal. Only then will Lion-O become the Lord of the ThunderCats again." Jaga said as he began to fade from view.

"What test?" Panthro raised his voice. His question would remain unanswered, as Jaga was gone. Quickly the panther picked up the Book of Omens and headed for the control room.

"What did Jaga mean?" WilyKat asked after hearing about Panthro's encounter.

"I have no idea. Mumm-Ra must be planning something else and that is why Jaga warned me." Panthro said.

"The ThunderStrike's estimated time of arrival is one hour and thirty minutes." The computer told Lynx-O.

"Should we radio them and appraise them of the situation?" The lynx wondered.

"I don't want Mumm-Ra picking up anything. The less he knows about how much we know the better. How are the cubs holding up anyway?" Panthro asked.

"Oh no worries there. Snarf is taking good care of them. I knew he was a babysitter but I've never seen him act like a baby. It's so weird." WilyKat shook his head trying to get the image to go away. This made Panthro chuckle and it lightened the mood in the room a little.

Meanwhile, Mumm-Ra emerged from his sarcophagus. The encounter earlier had drained him and he still wasn't strong to change from his bundle of bandages but the Ancient Spirits of Evil bid him to leave the safety of his sarcophagus and disobeying them wasn't an option.

"Mumm-Ra! You must confront the ThunderCats one more time. They bring the others from Third Earth and now is the perfect time to strike. With all of them here, you can use their lust for power against them and destroy the ThunderCats!" The animal statues boomed.

"I am still weak, oh Ancient Ones. I cannot take on the ThunderCats yet." Mumm-Ra told them.

"Cast the spell, Mumm-Ra. You do not need your full strength to cast the spell." They reminded him. An evil smile crossed Mumm-Ra's face as he began to recite the incantation, in the ancient language.


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a warning some of the scenes upcoming in this chapter and the next chapter maybe a little violent. Nothing to take it out of a T rating but I figure I should warn you. :)

Pumyra, Ben-Gali, and Tygra landed the ThunderStrike outside Cat's Lair and quickly disembarked. The moment they set foot on New Thundera strange feelings came over them.

"What is going on?" Pumyra asked. Her answer was Ben-Gali's massive hands around her throat. The puma's instinct to survive kicked in and she fought back. Her foot found his stomach but that didn't seem to deter him. The white tiger's grip tightened and she clawed at his hands and arms. Ben-Gali howled in pain as blood came from the gouges in his arms. He let go of Pumyra and she fell to the ground. The puma tried desperately for air to come back into her lungs, however she didn't see Tygra coming up next to her. The orange tiger punched her in the face and her world went black.

Next, he turned around and faced his brother tiger. Ben-Gali now saw that it was just to two of them and he quickly forgot his pain. Tygra pull his whip from his side and became invisible. Suddenly Ben-Gali found himself knocked back on his backside. A kick had been squarely placed on his chest. Only down momentarily, the white tiger bounced back up. Trying to fight an enemy he could not see, he threw punches and kicks wildly in the air. Tygra laughed and revealed where he stood by removing his whip. In an instant he flicked his wrist and the lash came down on Ben-Gali, sending a jolt of electricity through him. With the white tiger unconscious, Tygra made his way inside Cat's Lair.

Inside the scene wasn't much different. In fact, the first ThunderCat Tygra come upon was WilyKat. The young man lay on the ground, bleeding from a wound in his stomach. He wasn't a threat anymore and the orange tiger moved on. Next he came upon Snarfer. It was obvious that two of his legs were broken. Moving on, Tygra saw Lynx-O's body on the floor just outside the control room. From all appearances there weren't any injuries on the lynx but he bent down to feel for a pulse, just to be sure. There was none and he stood up. Throwing his whip around him, he went invisible and entered the control room.

Looking around, he could see the room was in complete shambles. Computer screens were bashed in. Control panels had large gouges in them and pieces of metal, plastic, and wires lay strewn everywhere. After making a thorough search of the control room and finding it empty, Tygra removed his whip and moved back into the hallway. A loud crashing noise alerted him to something going on down the hall. Quickly, he ran there knowing his next opponent would be waiting for him.

A roar echoed in the hallway and he knew that Panthro was close by. He would be a challenge and luckily after defeating him, the cubs would be easy to take care of. The familiar sound of Snarf in his "attack mode" meant that perhaps the panther would make it easy for him and get rid of Lion-O and Cheetara for him. Cautiously, the orange tiger hid up against the wall next to the sick bay.

Inside, Panthro was desperately fighting with himself. He knew that Mumm-Ra was behind his feeling that he must kill the cubs. Part of his mind told him it would be easy to break their necks and assume power, with the others dead no one would challenge him. Then he remembered that the ThunderStrike should have already landed and his rage grew three more people he would have to kill.  _No!_  He desperately tried to rid his mind of those thoughts, he'd already hurt too many. Snarf flung some medical instruments at him and one of those a scalpel stuck into his leg. A roar came from deep inside him and he snapped. He reached out and grabbed the furball by the throat.

"It's your turn to die." The panther growled at Snarf. He could feel his hand tightening on the ex-nursemaids' throat but his brain screamed to stop. Jaga's words found their way back into his foremost thoughts and he let go of Snarf. Panthro reached for the Sword of Omens and pulled it from the Claw Shield. He lifted the Sword above his head and began to call out the famous words.


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just reminding you of the upcoming violence. :)

Tygra charged into the room as Panthro only got the first "Thunder" out of his mouth. The last thing the tiger wanted was for the panther to call upon the Sword to do his bidding. Panthro saw who the intruder was and quickly leveled his weapon at the tiger. All he wanted was to bide himself some time to do what Jaga had said. His body however had other ideas.

"Ho!" He shouted. His unsteady hand moved the Sword's tip and the energy blast came out lower than expected. However, instead of hitting Tygra, the blast hit Snarf rendering the poor creature bleeding and unconscious. Both Lion-O and Cheetara began to wail at the top of their lungs. Panthro looked over at them and this gave Tygra the opportunity to lunge at the panther. The surprise attack caught Panthro off guard and he dropped the Sword of Omens to the floor.

Quickly, Tygra grabbed his whip and tried to give himself an edge. Panthro was prepared for this and grabbed his nun-chucks. The whip wrapped around the battle sticks and the panther yanked them hoping to pull the whip away from its owner but Tygra had other ideas. He flicked his wrist and the whip caught fire. The nun-chucks caught fire as well and Panthro dropped them. From there the two engaged in hand-to-hand combat.

Tygra threw a punch, which Panthro easily blocked. Then the panther kicked at Tygra who quickly dodged out of the way. Next, the tiger came back with a kick of his own. Panthro grabbed the leg and spun Tygra around. The two continued for some time, neither one gaining or losing ground. In the back of his mind, the tiger knew that Panthro's superior martial arts skills would beat him. He knew that he had to find another way. That's when he saw the scalpel sticking out of the panther's leg.

Quickly, the orange tiger made a fast move and grabbed the surgical instrument. Tygra shoved the scalpel further into Panthro's leg. The panther roared so loud that it shook the walls of the small room. He reached out and grabbed the tiger's hand. He used the hand that pushed the scalpel in to pull the offending object from his leg. Then he grabbed Tygra's arm with his other hand and bent in such a way that it wasn't supposed to be bent.

Tygra roared as he heard the bones in his arm snap and he could feel tendons snapping. He looked and saw that one of the bones had come out of his arm through his skin. The pain in the compound break was immense and he could feel the blood running down his arm. It was completely useless and now Panthro had him right where he wanted him. The panther picked up the Sword and moved to strike his opponent down. Tygra closed his eyes and prepared to feel the cold steel in his body.

Mumm-Ra watched the ThunderCats battle from the safety of his pyramid. He laughed as Panthro was obviously the strongest and bested everyone he faced. It was no wonder he was selected to become the new Lord of the ThunderCats.

"Everything is going according to plan oh Ancient Ones. As soon as Panthro dispatches Tygra and the cubs, I will swoop in and dispatch him. Then we will have the Eye of Thundera and the ThunderCats will be no more." An evil cackle left his lips. He looked back down into the cauldron and saw that Panthro held both the fake Thunder-Granter and the Sword of Omens in his hands.

"What is he doing?" The mummy wondered, concern evident in his voice. But the ever-living source of evil didn't have to wait long to hear some familiar words.

"Thunder…thunder… thunder… ThunderCats HO!" Suddenly the cauldron's water began to roll and boil. Then the entire inside of the pyramid was filled with a large red circle with a cat's head.


	16. Chapter 16

Suddenly, Panthro found himself in the ThunderTank watching the lava spewing out of one of the volcano's in Sector O. Mumm-Ra was floating there shouting his usual insults and Lion-O was telling him off. He knew the next thing he would have to do was to drill into the earth but he also knew that while he was down there, WilyKit would be seriously injured and that Lion-O and Cheetara would meet their end. There had to be something he could do.

"HO!" Lion-O shouting broke the silence and Panthro knew it was now or never.

"Cheetara!" The cheetah turned and looked at him.

"No matter what you do make sure you get Lion-O and the ThunderKittens out of there before the lava traps you! Watch out for WilyKit!" With that the panther pulled up the protective cover on the ThunderTank and pushed the tank into the dirt. Cheetara wondered what he meant and then she heard,

"I'm out of pellets." WilyKit shouted. A sudden case of déjà vu hit her and she quickly raced after the female ThunderKitten. Lion-O's order to fall back came and the cheetah knew she had a matter of moments before WilyKit would catch Mumm-Ra's energy blast in the back. At top speed, Cheetara ran, grabbed the young ThunderCat, and headed away from the blast that was coming. Mumm-Ra's energy blast missed its target and this gave Lion-O the opportunity he was looking for.

"HO!" The Lord of the ThunderCats shouted. The blast from the Sword of Omens hit Mumm-Ra in the chest. He tumbled down toward the ground. Meanwhile, the magma came closer every second to their position. Panthro would be back soon and Cheetara shouted to the lion.

"Lion-O we have to get back! Panthro will be surfacing soon!" This time the Lord of the ThunderCats listened to her and quickly left the ever-living source of evil to wallow in his own problems.

The ThunderTank surfaced and Panthro saw his friends safely on the correct side of the newly formed crack in the earth. Mumm-Ra stood up and saw the lava practically on top of him. He launched himself into the air and moved over the irrigation trench that the ThunderCats had formed.

"You think you can beat me that easily?!" The mummy crowed. Lion-O just laughed.

"You ever notice how many times you've that or some variation thereof and every time somehow, we manage to defeat you anyway?" The lion lifted the Sword of Omens and blasted the mummy into next week.

WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW

Thirty minutes later the group arrived back at Cat's Lair. Panthro parked the ThunderTank and the group went inside. The three adults went up to the control room while the ThunderKittens went off to see if they could help Snarf with dinner.

"Welcome back." Lynx-O greeted.

"How's the flow of the lava going?" Lion-O asked.

"Thanks to Panthro's expert digging the Braille Board informs me that the lava is filling up the trench quite nicely. Also the lava flow has slowed so there is no chance of the trench overflowing." The lynx told them.

"Any chance that this will adversely affect the planet's stabilization?" Cheetara wondered.

"I've alerted Jagara to the situation. She doesn't believe that the gyroscope will be affected. In fact she didn't even know that the two volcanoes erupted." Lynx-O said.

"Sounds like everything will go back to normal for a little while." The Lord of the ThunderCats smiled. Panthro had remained quiet through the entire exchange and Cheetara decided to ask him what was on his mind.

"Panthro, how did you know about WilyKit?"

"I'm not sure you'd believe me if I told you." The panther had a concerned look on his face.

"When it happened, I had a serious case of déjà vu. Somehow I knew what you were talking about." She prodded him for some information. Panthro nodded and started the story from the beginning. Soon the other three ThunderCats began nodding as everything came back to them.

"So what happened to the fake Thunder-Granter?" Lion-O asked when the events had been recounted.

"I have no idea but good riddance to bad rubbish." Panthro said. "If your father ever did have the real Thunder-Granter, I'm sure that he didn't use it." The Lord of the ThunderCats nodded and his thoughts wandered to the scenes that he'd been shown before removing the Thunder-Granter from his eye. Were they real or just a trick played on him?


	17. Epilogue

Lion-O sat by himself in the control room late at night. He had called Third Earth hours before and they confirmed Panthro's description of the events that had occurred. It wasn't that he had not believed the panther, far from it, he just wanted to make sure he had all the details.

His mind churned through all the particulars remembering that he and Cheetara had been returned to their friends as cubs. The meeting between himself and Lady Bast was fresh in his mind. The cat goddess had told him that there was something bigger planned for him and that one day all of New Thundera and Third Earth would know what he had done for them. Lion-O hardly believed that he was to be so fortunate to receive an honor such as that. He was distracted by the sound of the control room doors opening.

"Is my shift over already?" He asked his replacement.

"Not quite." Cheetara smiled. Lion-O looked at the time on the control board and realized that it was in fact three hours before the end of his shift.

"Are you ok?" Concern was evident in his voice. Cheetara sat down in the chair next to him and looked at the computer screen.

"I'm having trouble sleeping." Was all she said.

"Have you tried some warm milk?" He wondered.

"That tastes awful." The cheetah made a face. Lion-O laughed and decided to see what was really bothering his companion.

"I know you didn't leave your nice warm bed just to come sit on these cold, hard metal chairs." Cheetara let out a sigh and turned to him.

"I can't stop thinking. I've always had that problem, even when I was little. There is no 'off switch' for my mind."

"Any hints as to what you've been thinking about?" He questioned. At first she hesitated to tell him. It wasn't easy for her to open up about her feelings. As a ThunderCat you were trained to ignore emotions because they would get you into trouble. She had broken down when Jaga had said he would stay out of a time capsule and pilot their ship to their new home. That had been a very hard day, losing her home, her friends, and everything she knew. The stress had been too much and she let her emotions show. She had to be strong for the road that lay ahead of them would be tough and fraught with danger. The long pause didn't go unnoticed by Lion-O who wondered what exactly was going on.

"When you pulled me to you in limbo before we saw Lady Bast, I…" she paused. The words that she wanted to say escaped her.

"I hope that I didn't…" Cheetara put her hand on his lips, effectively stopping him from saying anything.

"When you did that it felt good." A smile crossed Lion-O's face. Cheetara opened her mouth and was about to say something when she found her lips occupied by the Lord of the ThunderCats. At first, there was some hesitation by both parties but soon that was gone. Finally the two separated and no words were spoken. Lion-O took her hand in his and the two sat in the control room for the rest of the night.

**The End**


End file.
